


Good Company

by Angeltigerdragon



Series: MonsterAU [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, First Meetings, Gen, polarspaz art
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-06-01
Packaged: 2018-11-07 20:34:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11066610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angeltigerdragon/pseuds/Angeltigerdragon
Summary: Inpired by Polarspaz's SpideyPeter and NagaTony. Summary will give too much away.find artwork here at: http://polarspaz.tumblr.com/





	Good Company

Peter’s sixth sense warned him. It warned him of the upcoming danger. It was too late. A coil of scale and muscle wrapped around him and his fur seemed to have no effect. Peter’s poor eyesight could still make out some colors. Red engulfed his body crushing Peter’s lungs.

                _I’ve had a good run_ , he thought. _This is the least I can make up for everything._

A brief memory of his only friend flashed in Peter’s mind. The mercenary would not take his death lightly, but Peter hoped he would leave well enough alone.

The creature hissed. Peter turned to the sound. Arms and a human torso emerged from the muscled tail. A face came into focus for a moment. The thing’s ears reminded him of _Warcraft_ ’s elf ears. It glared at Peter.

                “If you’re going to eat me, then do it.”

                “Funny. Who the fuck are you? How’d you get in? JARVIS report.”

                _I’m sorry, sir. The boy had disabled the security some hours ago along with my warnings._

The man-snake turned back to Peter.

                “Smart bug, huh?”

                “Arachnid,” Peter said, rolling his eight eyes.

                “Whatever. You were sent here, right? By Fury. Or A.I.M. Doesn’t really matter cause neither of the big boys are getting my property.” The man-snake emphasized this by squeezing Peter. The air left him and he started to struggle.

                “Dammit! Not now!”

His instincts took over and Peter bit hard. The scales under him split and a large yowl came from the creature. His tail loosened enough for Peter to escape. However, the voice in the wall started up again.

                _Accessing Trapped Mouse Protocol._

The dark house lit up in huge rays. Peter covered his face and ran blindly. Doors shut on their own and the windows suddenly had bars. Peter sidetracked and crawled up on the ceiling. Vents were out of the question. He kept his pace steady. His bite was not poisonous but Wade had said it hurt like blue balls in sandpaper undies. The creature would be down for a bit and Peter had to hide because escape was impossible.

                “I’m okay. Where the fucks that little shit?”

He miscalculated.

                _I believe he is in the upper level of the mansion, Master Stark. My sensors have yet to come up on line. However, this enemy can climb walls._

                “He’d better be immune to poison.”

More hissing and a thrashing came from the lower levels. Peter rounded the ceiling and spotted a small dark nook in the corner. He shot for it. In time too, because the man-snake approached the upper level of the house. Peter flattened himself against the wall and regretted his choices and Parker luck.

He should not have come to the old Stark Mansion. Rumors had gone on about it being owned by a monster, but others had circulated. That the most advanced technology and plans of the late Tony Stark had been stashed there by his bodyguard and greatest creation: Iron Man. Few people took the risk to go and the ones who did said there was a monster lurking in the shadows. Peter knew them to be true now. He also knew he should have spent his night with Wade again eating tacos and watching _Golden Girls._

                “Arachno-kid. Where are you? I’m gonna find you. When I do, I’m returning the favor,” the creature said darkly.

Peter shook in his corner.

                _Excuse me._

Peter’s will kept him from jumping at the sudden voice.

                _Sorry. I simply wish to inform you that Master Stark in recent years has grown paranoid. And for the last few nights, despite mine and Miss Potts warnings, he has not slept. I do believe he will bite you. And as part coral snake at his size it may kill you._

                “So?”

                _I do not think you want that. If you are truly not a foe then go to Master Stark before he makes a disastrous mistake. If you are not a friend, then I will inform him of your presence. You have thirty seconds._

Peter thought on it. This voice-A.I.- kept referring to the thing as Stark. Maybe it was related to the Stark family? Peter sighed. He really had no choice. This thing would kill him anyway.

                “I’m here,” Peter called out.

The creature slithered to him fast. Peter crawled out of the dark corner. The man-snake stopped.

                “Who sent you?” he asked.

                “No one. I came because I wanted to see if there was something to the rumors,” Peter said. It was honest. He did not steal unnecessary things. “I wanted to see what was left of Tony Stark.” Peter admitted. “He was my hero and Iron Man is my favorite Avenger.”

The man-snake stared at people. The tension from before, violent and primal, was replaced with a tension of what is to come. The man-snake sighed heavily.

                “Come with me,” he said.

It started to move downstairs and Peter cautiously followed. They reached a living room with white sheets over the furniture and something Peter could not identify. It smelled strange.

They entered a study that looked old compared to the house. The house had been built in the early fifties for Howard Stark and his new wife; since then, Peter remembered it had gone through several remodels and served for a short time as a base for the Avengers before the tower had been built. This room looked like it still belonged in the fifties with the dark paneling of oak and red wingback chairs in front of the large desk.

The man-snake went straight to a cabinet next to the wide bookshelf. He opened it to an array of wine bottles, tumblers, decanters, and others. Peter gaped at the sheer amount. His Aunt May only kept cooking sherry and a bottle of white wine for special occasions. Uncle Ben was partial to Budweiser Lite and those were barely bought. So, this was excessive.

                “Don’t judge me,” said the man-snake. Though it sounded sarcastic.

                “I’m not,” said Peter. “Just..never seen so much alcohol before.”

                “Where you from?”

                “Queens, but I’m living in Chelsea with a friend.”

                “Yeah,” the man-snake snorted.

Peter waited as the creature poured himself a scotch and turned to the desk.

                “The protocol won’t go down until morning or unless I tell JARVIS otherwise. I’m not going to and you’re stuck here. How this goes down is you answer my questions and I’ll answer three—”

                “That’s unfair.”

                “You broke into my house and I have SHIELD on speed dial. Fair is irrelevant.”

He got on the desk and recomposed like a sultan. Peter huffed. This guy was definitely confident.

                “Pour yourself a drink and sit.”

                “I’m not old enough,” Peter said.

The man-snake actually laughed. It was a nice sound. Hearty and resonating; the sound reminded Peter of Uncle Ben. He could see him better and besides the ears he had dark brown hair. He wore a t-shirt with some logo on it and a glowing center piece.

                “Lower shelf on the right is a mini-fridge. There should be water or something.”

Peter found more than that; water, Italian and Japanese sodas, and Starbucks cold coffees. He took an iced Frappuccino. He needed the caffeine.

                “Okay. I believe you’re not after my property. You obviously don’t know what’s going on and you stink at recon. First question: who are you?”

                “My name’s Peter Parker,” he said.

The man-snake looked at Peter like seeing him for the first time.

                “Peter Benjamin Parker?”

                “Yes! How—”

                “Shh,” he said. The tongue stuck out when he made the sound. “Don’t waste a question. I have unlimited plan while you got some crappy 3G. I remember that name because it was for the Stark Young Genius Scholarship and Internship. It was down to that name and Gwen Stacy. But, Normie at OSCORP got to him.”

                “Yeah. Well, my best friend Harry went there and I wanted to spend more time with him. We were going to separate schools in the fall and…”

                “And you’re that kid. The one bitten by one of the toxic spiders in the lab.”

                “Yep. But it was a wolf spider. And I was fine. In a lot of pain and out for a few hours, but I was fine. It wasn’t until a week later that things started to change. I got better with my eye sight and asthma. I felt stronger and my senses dialed up to eleven. The other….stranger things came up later. My hands started to stick to walls and these,” he stopped. He showed the man-snake his wrists. Quickly, Peter shot out twin webs at the desk. “That was three weeks in, but not bad. And then….well I got hairy. My aunt said puberty was hitting me. Except the hair was coarser….” Peter stopped again.

                “Take your time,” the creature said softly. “We have all night.”

Peter stared at his hands. The claws where his fingers used to be and the fur covering his hand. If he could pretend they could be his human hands, but then he would see his feet. Two big toes jutting out like bird talons.

                “The biggest change came when my eyesight turned poor again. And then,…..and…..I woke up like this. Eyes, fangs, and everything. It took a month. My entire life gone.”

                “When did you get bitten?”

                “On June 12. I know about the cover up and I’m afraid where they got that body. I went back to OSCORP to Mr. Osborn’s office. I was hoping he’d help me.”

                “But he tried to imprison you instead and dissect you, like in the movies.”

                “Yes.” Peter stopped. He took a big swallow of the drink. “I was able to get out before he could capture me. I found out about the cover up a few days later. For two years I’ve been hiding from Osborn. I’ve learned how to conceal myself and what sewers offer the best protection. It’s not all bad. I have my friend and when I can I help people. Just….they see me sometimes and scream.”

The man-snake nodded.

                “Do I know how that is,” he slurred.

Peter noticed that his tumbler was never empty. The bottle of scotch was hidden in his folds of tail.

                “What about your family? I remember in the essay that you mentioned an uncle being your inspiration.”

                “You read them?” Peter asked, surprised.

                “Just yours and Gwen Stacy’s. The others were pretty much the same. But the two of you stood out; you actually seemed bright enough to understand that this scholarship was about benefiting others, not yourself.”

                “Thanks,” Peter said. He felt his cheeks warm in pride. So, he would have gotten in if he had not gone with Harry.

                “About your family…”

Peter deflated. He twiddled with the plastic label on the drink. His claw scratched it off.

                “They’re dead….”

                “Oh.”

                “I found out a few months ago. I know they were looking for me. They never believed I died. They didn’t take the payoff from OSCORP. I would follow them as they searched for me in Manhattan, Brooklyn, even the Bronx. Uncle Ben had friends who looked into my death and confirmed it wasn’t an accident. Every night…every night, Aunt May made a place for me at the table….” Tears glistened Peter’s eight eyes. A hand offered him a handkerchief. “Thanks. I couldn’t always watch them. Like I said, I learned how to conceal myself, but it took a while. I had just stopped a bank robbery across Mid-town and there was another robbery at a theater. They were there. The man…God, I hated him. He shot Ben in front of May. I went to the funeral….” He sniffed. “Later, I went to my old house. A lady answered. She said May had died in her sleep not long after Ben….”

Peter sobbed. This story was not old. He told it to Wade. But, it hurt. It hurt so much.

The man-snake embraced Peter and shushed him. The ‘s’ sound hissing from him. He cried until he could breathe without hiccups.

                “I’m sorry. It’s…”

                “Listen to me; bottling up and being a jackass does not help with coping. It makes it worse. It’s a vice that doesn’t let go. So, if you need to, cry. Sob. Get angry and break crap. Don’t look at the end of a bottle and think this is right.”

Peter nodded and hugged back. It was nice. Solid. Not like Wade’s. They were all encompassing and Peter felt safe. This made him think of how Harry would give him awkward shoulder hugs when he was down trodden.

                “Not to get off-track, but I have one last question,” the guy said. “Why didn’t you fight back? You seemed to almost welcome it.”

                “I would have,” Peter said.

                “Oh,” said the snake.

Silence for three beats.

                “Who is Iron Man?” asked Peter.

                “What?”

                “That’s my first question: who is Iron Man?”

The snake stared at Peter again.

                “Uh, all right. I am Iron Man.”

Peter stared.

                “No shit,” Peter said.

                “No shit here or there,” he said.

Peter looked at him skeptically.

                “I control the Iron Man remotely. There is no one in it.”

                “Oh,” said Peter.

                “You sound disappointed.”

                “I am. I thought some regular guy was out there kicking ass with the Avengers.”

                “Hey, several members don’t have powers.”

                “I know. But Hawkeye and Black Widow are trained for this. Even Col. Rhodes is military and Falcon has those wings. I just thought there was a normal guy who really didn’t know what he was doing, just that it was helping.”

                “Like you.” He smirked.

                “Duh. So, yeah, a little disappointed it’s just a suit. Like those drones the army has.”

                “You and Capsicle,” he muttered.

                “Who?”

                “Second question.”

                “What? No way. I—”

                “Capsicle is the lovable nickname Stark coined for Steve Rogers, a.k.a, Captain America, a.k.a, America’s Sweetheart hashtag Oblivious Heartthrob.” The man-snake rolled his eyes. “I swear the times he’s been hit on and didn’t know. Seriously. I could’ve wrapped myself with a giant bow only and laid on his bed with a huge banner saying “Insert Here” and still he….”

Peter squeaks. The man-snake lets out a little fart.

                “So…”

                “Last question, make it smart.”

                “You were human?”

                “Duh. The current Iron Man is the Mark 47. Before this happened I was only on Mark 15. You remember how after Stark’s death Iron Man was out of the picture for five months. Well, it took me sometime to reconfigure how to make them all remote and functional. Also, I was getting used to,” he said and gestured to all of him. “The farts are the worst. They happen when I’m embarrassed or startled. I crave egg yolks and eat them raw. I literally suck eggs! So, yeah. Took a while.”

                “Me too,” Peter says.

The man-snake looks at the grandfather clock.

                “You got another two hours ‘til sunrise. I can give you one more question but that’s it.”

                “How did this happen?”

Peter gestures to all of the man-snake.

                “How’d I get so freaky sexy? Short answer: magic. Medium: I was magiced by a sorcerer. Long,  but not so long: I was transformed by a sorcerer who we can’t find and who maybe dead. Thor had said he wasn’t so powerful and that using his spells took some of his life force or something. If so, then I’m stuck like this forever.”

                “There-there hasn’t been….”

                “None I’ve found. But, listen, you were bitten by a science spider. Maybe there’s hope for you.”

                “I don’t know.”

                “Have you….uh, spoken to—”

                “Yes. Friends of my friend. They took some samples. Said to turn back might kill me.”

The man-snake said “oh” again. Peter looked at him. At his shirt, AC/DC, and his knowledge. The time lines and the mansion. That voice.

                “You’re Tony Stark.”

                “Not a secret.”

* * *

 

The rest of the night went on with Tony showing the kid his lab under the mansion and the Iron Man suits. Peter listened with rapt attention. He had trouble reading the schematics and Tony promised to make him contact lenses for his misshapen eyes. Honestly, the kid’s face looked like it was trying to be human with the two large eyes and the four small ones under and above them.

                _Sir, the Trapped Mouse Protocol is over. Shall I contact Captain Rogers?_

                “Nnnoppe. I’m good here. Making new friends and other stuff.”

Peter had zonked out at some point and Tony shrugged. The kid could stay a bit and rest. God knows, Tony needed again. He like his new sleep schedule but it somehow was more erratic than his old one.

After ten, the kid stirred from his place on the lounge chair Pepper had placed in the lab.

                “What time izit?”

                “Quarter after ten,” Tony said.

                “Dammit!  I gotta go before Wade freaks out. His boxes are so loud when I’m not there.”

The kid ran up the stairs. He paused.

                “Thank you,” he said.

Tony did not turn or answer. The kid left and he was alone.

                _Master Stark, I believe giving the boy some form of communication would have been beneficial._

                “He’s better off without me. He’s got someone looking after him and he can’t blab to the media about this. Also, I think it’s time to get more involved with the shareholders at OSCORP. Call Pepper and tell her to set up a meeting with Nat too.”

                _Of course, sir._

Tony looked at his screens. He flitted to a file marked “TOP SECRET: MEANS YOU CLINT.”

The file held photos. Photos of him and Pepper. Rhodey. Happy. As Iron Man. With the Avengers. He came to one with Steve. He had his arm around Tony in a friendly manner. Tony was smiling like a goof.

He sighed and looked at his scaly hands.

                “Its better.”


End file.
